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Mid caps

Why Kenmore is no more…

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In 2000… Kenmore was in every American household (or it seemed to be), and it was available exclusively at Sears. Heck, other appliance makers would create their best products and sell them with the Kenmore name instead of their own – that’s how big this brand was. However, the brand has seen better days, and Kenmore and Sears have been all but forgotten.

 

Now, Sears wants… someone, anyone, to buy Kenmore because the company needs money. There is one offer – Sears CEO Eddie Lampert will buy Kenmore from his very own company for $400 million. The company is still mulling over that offer, although it seems like a disappointing one given that the brand was valued at over $2 billion just 15 years ago.

 

Sears is now worth… just $150 million, and interestingly, the Kenmore brand is worth more than twice that. So as poorly as Kenmore is doing, Sears is doing much worse. But if you buy a Kenmore appliance, you should ask yourself – will Sears or Kenmore even be around when this thing breaks?

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Blue Chip

Coffee is better with a little ‘Coke’

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Coca-Cola is makin’ moves… last week we learned the beverage company went in on the sports drink BodyArmor, and now they have spent $5.1 billion for the UK coffee chain Costa Coffee. The acquisition will give Coke access to coffee vending machines, on-the-go outlets, and ready-to-drink iced coffee and beans from Costa Coffee’s roastery.

 

Now, they will sell everything… water, soda, sports drinks, coffee – you name it, Coca-Cola has it. Now, Coke can offer its food service customers, like restaurants and movie theaters, everything they need. Thus, rather than opening Costa locations in the United States, we may begin seeing the company’s products popping up here and there.

 

The move is more significant… in other countries, where Costa Coffee has a considerable presence. Costa has 4,000 stores across 32 countries in Europe, Middle East, Asia, and Africa. These physical stores will also allow Coke to sell their other products directly to customers, rather than going through grocery stores, gas stations, and other distributors. So you could say that finding Coke [products] just got a little easier…

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Miscellaneous

Better consider bringing a carry-on

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And only a carry-on… because checking your bag will now cost $30 instead of $25 with United Airlines. The second bag, if you need it, will cost $40 instead of $35. However, if you have the MileagePlus Premier status, you can continue to check your luggage for free. For the rest of us, just get through security with your “carry on.”

 

For the greater good… of all airline passengers because United plans to invest in the “overall customer experience” with the increase cost. And the company is offsetting their rising costs by charging passengers more. Not that you can blame them – many are expecting airlines to see a significant drop in profits for 2018.

 

This isn’t a coincidence… because fuel and labor costs have been climbing and eating airline profits. JetBlue, Air Canada, and West Jet all increased the price of checked bags in similar amounts. So your ticket won’t cost more – but everything that you pay for after buying your ticket will cost more. And despite rising costs, United stock is up 27% this year.

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Miscellaneous

Not just a Didi problem…

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Who knew getting into a strangers car… could be just downright dangerous? Didi Chuxing, a Chinese ride-sharing firm, is dealing with the rape and murder of a passenger that occurred in August. Also, in the past four years, 103 Uber drivers and 18 Lyft drivers have been accused of sexually assaulting or abusing riders. Can these issues be resolved, or is ride-sharing just dangerous?

 

More oversight is required… by the government to ensure that these services are safer. In ten years, we went from “never ride with strangers” to paying strangers to take us places. Uber transports about 15 million riders worldwide each day. With so many rides, while it is unlikely, you can see why these things happen and continue to occur.

 

Here are some ideas… including allowing female passengers to select female drivers. A panic button could also be put into apps so that riders can call 9-1-1 quickly. At any rate, government oversight could give these companies the “push” they need to use technology to create better, safe rides.

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